Ezem was a city in the Negeb, the southern region of Judah's inheritance. Joshua 15:29 lists it among Judah's southern cities, but Joshua 19:3 and 1 Chronicles 4:29 assign it to Simeon, whose inheritance was carved out from within Judah's territory. The textual variants (Ezem/Etzem) reflect different vocalizations of the same consonantal text. The name may relate to the word for 'bone' or 'strength,' though the connection is uncertain. The city's location in the arid Negeb suggests it was a small settlement in the southern frontier, part of the defensive network against nomadic incursions.